Birth stories.

***These can now be found under the "birth stories" tab at the top of the page***

Jordan Isaiah

Jordan was due on April 15th, 2010. From the day I found out I was pregnant, something about April 6th stuck out to me. I was convinced that would be the day he was born. Surprisingly enough, I was almost right.

On April 6th 2010, I went to my doctor's appointment. He told me I was 3cm dilated and 75% effaced, and that I'd have the baby within the next 2 weeks. Well, duh, considering I was due in 9 days and you don't want me going over due. At around 4pm, I was in the tub soaking when I got a tightening. Not long after, another. I stayed in the tub for another 20 minutes before getting out, and deciding to go for a walk. I made it about 10 minutes before I got too tired. I came home and started timing them and learned the tightenings were 6 minutes apart. I told my mom I thought I was having contractions, but I wasn't sure because they didn't hurt. She freaked out (typical of my mother) insisting we HAD to rush to the hospital. I told her I wasn't ready, so she made me a big dinner. We ended up not leaving for the hospital until 11pm when the contractions were 4 minutes apart. 

When we got to the hospital, they hooked me up to the monitors, checked me, then an hour later came back and checked me again. I was now at 4cm, so definitely in labor. I was immediately threatened with pitocin (ridiculous), and hooked up to an IV. I was still unsure on whether or not I wanted an epidural, especially since I wasn't in any pain. But the nurse kept telling me the anesthesiologist had 2 c-sections that night and would be unavailable, and my mom was psyching me out, so I gave in and got it at 5ish cm at 2:30am, still in no pain. The doctor broke my water shortly after.

Things were boring after that. Everyone slept while I played on my laptop. I was shaking because of the epidural and the blood pressure cuff inflating every 30 minutes made it really hard for me to sleep. I finally fell asleep at 9am, only to be woken up 2 hours later to be checked. I was at 7cm and the nurse told me it'd probably only be another 30min before I started pushing. This is where it got real for me, and I kind of broke down a bit. I recovered quickly and just as the nurse said, 30min later I was complete. I didn't feel the urge to push (or really anything at all), but told them I did and I started pushing.

30 minutes and an episiotomy (that I was not made aware of) later, my baby boy was out and on my chest. I was a sobbing mess and so happy to finally have the little person I'd been waiting for for 9 months. 

Jordan was born at 12:56pm on April 7th, 2010. He weighed 7lbs5oz and was 20.5" long. I was in labor for a total of 21 hours.

Helena Piper

Helena was due August 3rd 2011.

On July 17th, I started having contractions. They were pretty irregular, so I ignored them at first. They woke me up that night, and early the next morning they became regular. I headed to the hospital and whaddya know whaddya say? They stopped. My midwives told me next time, to just come into the office first. 2 more days of irregular contractions with varying degrees of pain, and finally, FINALLY, I was truly in labor. It was July 20th, about 3pm, and the contractions suddenly switched to 3min apart, 1min long, and painful enough for me to stop and take a breather, but not so painful so that I couldn't talk. I waited an hour, then headed to my doctor's. They checked me and I was 4cm when 3 days before, I was 2cm. They hooked me up to the NST and contractions stayed regular for the full hour. They rechecked me and I was 5cm, so we were off to the hospital! (After a pitstop at Wendy's, of course.)

I arrived at the hospital and they hooked me up to the monitors while I checked in. I was determined to have a waterbirth this time. I refused an IV and just had the end part (I think it's called a catheter?) placed for just in case, and instead drank water during labor. I also only agreed to intermittent monitoring so after 30min, they took me off the monitors. At this point, the contractions had stopped hurting and I was feeling great. 

The waterbirthing room was taken when I checked in, and apparently was a total mess when the lady finished, so I was in a regular room while I waited for the other room to be cleaned. A couple hours later, I got in, and ate some jello. 15 minutes later the midwife came in and checked me, and I was at a 6. She told me it was up to me if I wanted my water broken or not. My contractions had slowed and lessened in intensity over the past hour, so I asked her to break my water in hopes of getting them going strong again. She did, and I went to a 7. The very next contraction that hit let me know I was definitely in transition. I had the back of the bed lifted to almost 90 degrees, flipped over, and leaned over the back during 2 more contractions while I waited for the tub to be filled. The lights were dimmed, peaceful music was turned on, and I got in the tub. 

I first tried laying on my back, and the contractions were excruciating, so I quickly got onto all fours. I asked that no one talk to me so that I could focus on the contractions. I had my midwife lay a receiving blanket on my back and pour water over it so my whole body would stay warm. I concentrated on the feeling of the contractions, visualized my baby coming down and out, moaned, and repeated in my head, "they're not hurting they're working". I was on all fours during each contraction, and sat back in between. Then I felt the urge to push, and my body started bearing down.

I asked for the blanket to be taken off my back, and moved to the side of the tub.  I was checked to make sure I was at a 10, and I was, and was told to push on my own time. I can't tell you how great it was not to be coached through pushing and to do what felt right. I pushed on all fours and leaned against the tub during breaks, taking drinks of ice water in between pushes. Then I felt her head crowning. I begged my midwife to catch her and she said, "I can't, you have to do that". The next few pushes, I was roaring. Literally roaring as loud as I could. It wasn't that it hurt, it just took SO MUCH effort. I didn't even feel the ring of fire. Finally, her head was out. One more good push, and I pulled out my little darling. I was SO GLAD my midwife refused to catch her, because it was an amazing feeling to know I was the first one to put hands on my baby. I didn't cry when she was out. Instead, I laughed. I was on such an incredible high. I had gotten my water birth. I DID IT! And my beautiful baby girl was here! The first thing I said was, "She's so tiny!"

Helena was born on July 20th, 2011 at 10:39pm. She was 6lbs11oz and 18.5" long. I was in labor for a total of 7.5 hours.